~ Megan I didn’t return my father’s smile. I just wanted him to be done and out of my face. “If you want money, I will send you the little I have—” “The little you have would mean nothing compared to the problem it is supposed to fix,” my father cut me off. “You were right about something.” He stared at me from a much more comfortable position. “There was no fire at any of our shops, but there was a fire at a warehouse where I had workers sewing fake designer branded clothes. And some people got hurt. They are poor, so a little money wouldn’t be too much to compensate them unless they’d open their mouths.” “I don’t see how that’s my business, Dad,” I said between my teeth, emphasizing on the ‘Dad.’ The man that raised me wasn’t the one sitting before me now. He was a complete stranger. A stranger who dealt illegally to make ends meet. What happened to the man that was once my role model? “You are disappointed in me right?” My father asked with a half-baked smile, and for a brief mo
~ MeganHer reply was something I wasn’t expecting to hear in a million years. “What?” I echoed.Janette turned around, her eyes filled with irritation and pride. “Yes, little Megan, I live here now. Charles invited me to stay.”I refused to believe what I was hearing. There was no way Charles invited her to stay with us without informing me first. I knew our relationship wasn’t what it used to be, but that was something I never expected of him. My mind raced with a million thoughts, and none of them were pleasant.“Charles invited you to stay?” I asked, trying to maintain my composure, hiding the storm brewing within me.Janette smirked, enjoying the ruckus she was causing. “Yes, he did. We are back together, you know. It is only a matter of time before he realizes the mistake he made by marrying you.”I felt a surge of anger, and for a brief moment, I imagined myself beating Janette to a pulp, but I had to control it. I couldn’t afford to lose my temper, at least not now.“Why would
~ CharlesI stood at Megan’s door, my smile faltering as I sensed the tension in the air. Megan’s usually warm eyes now reflected a mix of hurt and frustration. The atmosphere between us had become strained, and the decision to invite Janette without Megan’s knowledge had added fuel to the fire.“Can I come in, please?” I asked, attempting to maintain a calm demeanor regardless of the tension between us.Megan’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before she sighed, relenting with a nod. “Fine, come in.”Megan led me to her bed, but she maintained a clear distance between us, something I thought we had closed. I didn’t want to talk about the issue with Jake since we didn’t particularly end it well. And now, I just wanted to clear things up about Janette and not Jake.“About Janette,” I began, but Megan cut me off.“It’s fine. It’s your house, your rules,” she said dismissively. But I knew she was still mad at me.“I have a plan, but Janette staying here is a necessary evil,” I explained.
~ CharlesJanette’s admission echoed through the room, her voice trembling with heavy emotions of guilt, fear, and desperation. I maintained my mask of indifference, watching her carefully as Megan’s gaze shifted between us.“No, Janette, please don’t say that,” Megan said, genuine worry etched on her face.Janette collapsed onto the floor, her hands covering her face as Megan ran to her side. “It is all over social media. My career, everything I have worked for is crumbling,” she sobbed.“Janette please stop,” Megan cooed, then she shot me a suspicious look, narrowing her eyes. “Charles, did you have anything to do with this?”I shrugged nonchalantly, playing the innocent card. “Why would I? I didn’t even know Janette sold her body to wealthy people for fame.”Janette, now sobbing uncontrollably, managed to break free from Megan’s comfort to crawl to my legs. “Charles, you have to believe me. What they are showing isn’t the full truth. Please hear my own side of the story."I scoffed
~ CharlesTime froze as I stared at Janette’s lifeless form on the cold kitchen floor. The pool of blood around her wrists expanded slowly, as if echoing the fading beats of her heart. The shock of the scene pierced through my calculated exterior, leaving me momentarily breathless.Megan, too, stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. The kitchen, once a place of routine and sustenance, transformed into a haunting tableau of tragedy. The air thickened with a mixture of regret and despair.Without thinking, I rushed to Janette’s side, my hands shaking as I fumbled for my phone. “Call an ambulance,” I barked at Megan, who was slowly regaining her composure. The weight of Janette’s life hanging in the balance was a reality check, a stark reminder that my revenge had spiraled into a chaos beyond my control.Megan immediately pulled out her phone from her purse and dialed emergency services, her voice shaking as she told them the situation on the ground. While I attempted to stop the flo
~ Charles.“Charles, I know I should be using the " I told you so" card right now but I just want you to know that I am here for you, if you ever need someone to talk to,” Megan said, her voice firm.I nodded, a mixture of argument and uncertainty whirling within me. For a brief moment, I felt vulnerable. “Megan, I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted her to pay for what she did to me all those years ago.”“I know,” Megan said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder.”But revenge rarely brings closure. I hope you know that. It only opens doors to more pain.”We sat in silence, absorbing the gravity of my predicament. Now Megan had become my accomplice for defending me publicly . She was finally seeing the McCall family as her own too. She had become like my father; always cleaning up the mess I make.“I’ll face the consequences,” I finally said, determination replacing the shadows in my eyes. “But I will do restitution in my own way…. Although I need your support.”A sens
~ Megan“Because I am the best husband in Miami,” Charles jested.I raised an eyebrow but didn’t protest. The car whisked us to the marina, where the yacht waited in serene elegance. The crew welcomed us aboard, and we set sail into the open sea. I was led to a cabin where I was given a red sleeveless evening dress to wear.One of the attendants helped me with my hair and makeup. In less than an hour, I was transformed into a beauty goddess. I descended to join Charles on the yacht’s deck. He was also sharply dressed, ready for our dinner date.The gentle breeze kissed my skin as we sailed into the open sea. The Miami skylines gradually faded, replaced by the vastness of the ocean.Dinner was served in a private setup on deck, surrounded by the calming sounds of crashing waves.As we enjoyed our meal, Charles shared stories about places he sailed in the past with his father, stories about his family history, and the significance of various landmarks.The ambiance was surreal, and I fo
~ MeganI stifled a yawn, stretching my limbs, and cracked my neck towards Charles’ side of the bed. He wasn’t there. All my actions immediately paused. Groggily, I opened my eyes, the hazy memories of the previous night slowly coming back to me. A slight smile played on my lips as I remembered the passionate encounter with Charles in my cabin.Confusion crept in as I sat up, scanning the room. The realization hit me that I was alone in the cabin. I felt a mixture of disappointment and irritation. Had last night been a mere moment of heat for Charles? Was it just a way to distract himself from the chaos surrounding his life? Or was it a way to compensate me since he couldn’t reciprocate my feelings for him? Those questions flooded my mind, and a knot formed in my stomach.I reached for my phone on the bedside table, checking for any chats, messages, or calls. There were quite a few but none from Charles. My heart sank a little, but I tried to push away the tears forming in my eyes. Ma